Nordreich Liga Season XIX
]] Nordreich Liga Season XIX ran from October 15, 2014 to January 16, 2015. The league found itself in an era of stability as for the third consecutive season as the league saw no manager changes nor team movement during the off-season. The same 8 teams returned which had played in the previous season. Final Standings Regular Season Nordreich Liga 1 Statistics Leaders All-Star Team Team of the Month Award Retirements & Departures *'Dingiswayo Ngwane' (Transvaal Springboks / Kaapstad Hornets) - fullback, aged 38. Ngwane wore the #5 jersey and played with the team for 19 seasons from Season I through until the end of Season XIX. Previous to joining the Kaapstad Hornets, Dingiswayo Ngwane played 9 games with the Transvaal Springboks during Liga Mundo Season 5 and Liga Mundo Season 6. He was released to the Hornets on November 19, 2009 and signed for $2,581,000. In Season VII, Ngwane played in his 100th match on August 31, 2011 - becoming the first Hornet to gain legendary status. He was named team captain at the start of Season IX and held that role until the end of Season XVI when he relinquished it to Noukeu Keita. Ngwane played in his 200th bicentennial match on February 20, 2013. He reached his peak ability during Season XVI but serious injuries in December 2013 that kept him on the sidelines for almost four weeks would cause his performance to slide for the rest of the season as he recovered. During Season XIX, Dingiswayo became the first Hornet player to appear in 300 games. This occurred on November 12, 2014 in a match against Dorpat Lions, the exact same day Desmond Nghaamwa reached the his 200th bicentennial match. Ngwane quickly developed into the marquee fullback for the Hornets. By the time he reached 21, he found himself becoming a mainstay on the first of many all-stars teams in Season III. He was named to the Liga 2 all-star team in Season IV - followed by all-star teams in the following 9 seasons. He missed making the all-stars in Season XIV but appeared on it for one last time the following season. His appearance on the Season XI all-star team was especially memorable for him as his defensive line-mates Eugene Tchami and Benin Ndiako also joined him as all-stars that season. Regarded by most fans as the greatest fullback in all of Transvaal football, Dingiswayo Ngwane played more games than any other Kaapstad player with his 303 Nordreich Liga matches under his belt - and only 1 match short for tying Stien van Buyten's all-time career number of games played in Transvaal football with 312 games played in both leagues. He potted home 56 goals - most of them off penalty kicks - and had 33 assists to end up with 89 points to his name in the Nordreich Liga. *'Fríðrikur Túgvustein' (Zemo City Avengers) – midfielder, aged 36. A product of the Nordenstrom junior programme, Túgvustein was promoted from the junior team during Season II, joining the seniors at the age of 18. After five seasons of development, he had his break-out season in Season VII when he led the league in assists (8) and points (12), which garnered him his first-ever berth on the Liga All-Star Team that season. Fríðrikur Túgvustein would become a leading fixture on the Liga all-star teams during Season VIII, Season IX, Season X, Season XI, Season XII, and Season XIII as he became the premier midfielder in the Nordreich Liga. The peak of his career would fall between Season VII and Season XIII, until team-mate Theodor Normstedt began to bypass him starting with Season XIV. During that time, Túgvustein racked up numerous league merits and awards. He finished tied 1st in assists (6) and 5th in points (8) in Season VIII; tied 2nd in points (15) and assists (7) and 4th in goals (8) in Season IX; 2nd in assists (10) and tied 5th for points (12) in Season X; led league in assists (9) and 2nd in points (12) in Season XI; led the league in assists (9) and 2nd in points (14) in Season XII – and playing at his pinnacle, he took home the Hillo Maalepp MVP Trophy for that season for the most valuable player in the Nordreich Liga. In Season IX he played in his 100th legendary match on December 10, 2011. After a slight slump in Season XIV, which was highlighted by his 200th career match on May 29, 2013, he returned to high form in the scoring charts in Season XV when he finished tied 2nd for assists (9) and returned to the all-star team after a one-season absence. After a lacklustre performance in Season XVI, he roared back for the next two seasons. He scored 13 assists in Season XVII, good enough for him to lead the league in assists and finish 3rd in points (17) that campaign. He made the All-Star Team that season as well as the one that followed, when in Season XVIII he dented all three scoring categories, ending up in 2nd place for points (16), 3rd place for assists (8), and tied in 4th for goals with 8. Retiring at the conclusion of Season XIX, during which he played in his 300th match on November 22, 2014, Fríðrikur Túgvustein closed out his 18 seasons ranked 2nd for most career matches (313) and 2nd for most career X11 team selections (168) for the Zemo City Avengers – both instances only the great fullback Yosef Triestsch finished ahead of him in those categories. He scored 92 career goals (4th in team scoring) and 2nd in career points (231) – but it will be career assists that he will be remembered for with his 139 helpers to lead the club. *'Stanley Miesiedjan' (Kaapstad Hornets) - midfielder, aged 35. He wore the #8 jersey and played with the team for 17 seasons from Season III until his retirement at the conclusion of Season XIX. On January 18, 2012, Miesiedjan played in his 100th legendary match. He scored his 100th career point near the end of Season XIV. That same season, on June 19, 2013, he played his 200th bicentennial match. Until the rise of Noukeu Keita, Stanley Miesiedjan had been the Hornets' strongest player on the midfield although a quiet force in that he rarely received the recognition, respect, or attention from outside the club. His talent with the headers and his quick speed made him a consistent threat and a solid playmaker for the Hornets. He suffered through a string of serious injuries during Season XVIII which slowed him down considerably and resulted in him opting for a reserve role. After committing to one season as a reserve midfielder, Miesiedjan declared his intention to retire at the end of his 17th season in the league. At the time of his retirement, he was ranked 2nd in career matches (276) with the club. He finished 4th in career goals (66), 3rd in career assists (70), and 2nd in career points (136) for the Hornets. Stanley Miesiedjan did manage to chalk up some league merits here and there during the span of his career. He finished 2nd in assists (4) in Liga 2 during Season IV. Two seasons later, he led the league in assists (6) and finished 2nd in points (9) which earned him a place on the all-star team in Season VI - the only instance he was named to the all-stars. Later, in Season XIII he finished the season tied 4th in scoring with 7 goals. *'Ralf Handke' (Kaapstad Hornets) - midfielder, aged 38. An Austrian import, he signed with the team midway through Season II and remained with the club for 18 seasons. Handke played his 100th legendary match on January 11, 2012 in Season IX. The following season he achieved his only appearance on the goal-scoring charts when he finished tied 5th with 6 goals. He played in his 200th match during Season XV on September 25, 2013 - in a 2-1 win over Zemo City Avengers at Greenpoint Stadium, in which he picked up one assist. Handke was released at the conclusion of Season XIX on January 16, 2015 when his contract was not renewed by management. Not generally regarded as one of the more prolific scorers for the Hornets, his long career nevertheless saw him finish high for placement in the club record books. Handke was armed with deadly accuracy on spot kicks and he often filled the role of freekick expert and occasional penalty taker. He also possess formidable stamina which contributed to his lengthy career. At the time of his departure, Ralf Handke was ranked 5th in career matches played (263), career goals (58), and career points (123) and 4th in career assists (65) with Kaapstad. *'Adri van der Berg' (FC Limburg / Golden Valley FC) – defender, aged 28. He played in 141 matches, scoring 8 goals and 27 points from Season 12 to Season 19. Van der Berg was sold on transfers on November 13, 2014 for a $6,586,860 fee. *'Tahir Zulfikarpasic' (Hells Cargo) – defender, aged 35 years. Signed as a free agent for $89,300, he played for the club from Season 15 through into Season 19. A deep defensive fullback, he only accumulated 1 point (an assist) in his 70 games played with Hells Cargo. *'Musa Salci' (Vinland Berserkers) – defender, aged 36 years. Salci played 2 seasons as the freekicker for the Berserkers. He appeared in 26 games in which he scored 9 goals and 13 points. *'Leonardo Roche' (Nacional CF / Inverness Alba Rovers / Moenchengladbach / Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats) defender, aged 35. One of the great players during the club's early tumultuous history, following the various management changes and club relocations from its days starting with Nacional CF, Roche appeared in 204 matches - the third-most games played in the club's history. He played in his 100th legendary match in Season X on May 9, 2012. His 200th match occurred in Season XIX on December 27, 2014. A stay-at-home deep-back defender, he scored 2 goals and 17 points during his long career. Leonardo Roche was released by the club - along with long-time line-mate Aythami Polo on January 17, 2015. *'Aythami Polo' (Nacional CF / Inverness Alba Rovers / Moenchengladbach / Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats) defender, aged 35. A mainstay great often paired with Leonardo Roche, Aythami Polo gained fame for being the most famous fullback to play for the club through all its incarnations since starting with Nacional CF. He appeared in 230 games for the club, the second-most in the club's history and the most by a fullback. He scored 6 goals and 26 points. Polo was inducted as honourary member to the Nordreich Liga hall of fame on June 15, 2012. He played in his 100th legendary match in Season XI on June 27, 2012. His 200th appearance took place in Season XVIII on July 30, 2014. At the conclusion of Season XIX, Aythami Polo and his defensive sidekick Leonardo Roche were released by the club on January 17, 2015. League MVP Goalkeeper Mike van den Baan (Golden Valley FC) won the Hillo Maalepp MVP Trophy for the second consecutive season in a row. Career Milestones 300 games *'Dingiswayo Ngwane' (Kaapstad Hornets) played in his 300th career match on November 12, 2014 *'Fríðrikur Túgvustein' (Zemo City Avengers) played in his 300th career match on November 22, 2014 200 games *'Heinrich Heinz' (Kaapstad Hornets) played in his 200th career match on October 25, 2014 *'Moshe Macabee' (Zemo City Avengers) played in his 200th career match on November 19, 2014 *'Desmond Nghaamwa' (Kaapstad Hornets) played in his 200th career match on November 12, 2014 *'Theodor Normstedt' (Zemo City Avengers) played in his 200th career match on December 20, 2014 Manager of the Season In what was the closest results ever seen for the Nordreich Liga Manager of the Season Award, Manager BaronZemo of the Zemo City Avengers won the award by decision of the commissioner after a four-way tie between him and the managers of Zemo City Avengers, Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats, Vinland Berserkers, and Zeller Athletic – all with 3 points earned from X11 Manager selections during the regular season. Golden Valley FC pulled up the rear with 2 points while the managers of Dorpat Lions, Hells Cargo, and Kaapstad Hornets were not named to the team at all during Season XIX. “Considering that BaronZemo managed the triple this season, he was the obvious choice,” commented Commissioner Botha when handing out the award. “After the recent occurrences with ties for the award, I've decided to factor in league and cup championships as tiebreakers.” FINAL MANAGER RANKINGS *Zemo City Avengers = 3 points *Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats = 3 points *Vinland Berserkers = 3 points *Zeller Athletic = 3 points *Golden Valley FC = 2 points Nordreich Cup Quarter-Finals Matches played October 18 and October 25, 2014 *Zemo City Avengers defeated Zeller Athletic (6-0; 6-1) *Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats defeated Vinland Berserkers (2-3; 1-0) *Hells Cargo defeated Kaapstad Hornets (3-0; 3-3) *Dorpat Lions defeated Golden Valley FC (2-1; 1-1) Semi-Finals Matches played November 1 and November 8, 2014 *Zemo City Avengers defeated Dorpat Lions (4-2; 2-1) *Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats defeated Hells Cargo (1-1; 2-0) Nordreich Cup Finals Matches played November 15 and November 22, 2014 *Zemo City Avengers defeated Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats (1-1; 5-1) Zeller Open Cup Quarter-Finals Matches played December 13 and December 20, 2014 *Vinland Berserkers defeated Hells Cargo (3-1; 1-1) *Golden Valley FC defeated Dorpat Lions (0-3; 5-1) *Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats defeated Kaapstad Hornets (2-0; 3-2) *Zemo City Avengers defeated Zeller Athletic (5-0; 5-2) Semi-Finals Matches played December 27, 2014 and January 3, 2015 *Zemo City Avengers defeated Golden Valley FC (4-1; 3-2) *Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats defeated Vinland Berserkers (5-0; 2-2) Zeller Open Cup Final Match played January 10, 2015 *Zemo City Avengers defeated Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats (2-1) Team Pages *Kaapstad Hornets Category:Sports Category:Soccer Category:Nordreich Liga Category:Nordreich Category:United Cybernations Football Associations